After trying to use standard blenders (even high end units) we never were able to get the right consistency in our mixed frozen drinks. This machine to the rescue! The reason that I title "better than restaurant quality" is that you can make drinks just how you like them, strong / weak / more ice / less ice. The unit is a bit loud when in operation but it makes the drinks so quickly that the noise level is manageable. If using for a party cleaning is easy as it's as simple as rinsing the parts between drinks. Final clean up at the end of the night is no more cumbersome than with any other standard blender. As for size, the footprint is not much larger than a toaster but quite a bit taller. The unit is a bit pricey upfront but after considering all the other "blenders" we have tried to get this quality it is best to save your money and invest it here.